Hermione, Arithmancy, and a Big Chunk of Bad Luck
by Principi Phantasia
Summary: Hermione seems to keep having problems with her Arithmancy essay - not in the way people would usually imagine.


Hermione sighed yet again as she impatiently flipped the pages of the large book before her.

"Still working on your Arithmancy essay, Hermione?" Harry asked to break the silence.

Hermione flashed him a dark look and replied icily, "Yes, Harry, since my last one was disposed by the house-elves that cleaned our common room."

"Oh, yeah, that," Harry said awkwardly, not knowing how to face Hermione's anger right now.

"Yes. _That_," Hermione got back to her work.

"I just thought you might be done by now," Harry said.

"Done?" Hermione exclaimed, "Not even close! You may not be aware of it, but Professor Vector demands long essays!"

"Well, I figured since you've already done it once, it must be easier this time," Harry shrugged. "Especially since you have such a good memory," he complimented her with a tentative grin.

Hermione simply narrowed her eyes at him.

This morning Hermione woke up and discovered that the Arithmancy essay she's been working on for several days was missing. She asked Dobby whether any of the other house-elves have seen it, and Dobby called the others. They told Hermione that they found a piece of parchment on the common room table, but they got rid of it because they thought it was rubbish.

Of course Hermione was upset. And frustrated. It was a beautiful Saturday morning and she had to cancel her trip to Hogsmeade in order to re-do her Arithmancy homework. Harry decided to stay behind to cheer her up a little. He figured it wasn't the best idea to leave Hermione behind alone, what with her being in a sullen mood and all. Besides, he had no one else to go with. Ron was going on a date with Lavender Brown, which certainly did not help lift Hermione's sour mood.

So there they were, under the beech tree beside the lake – Harry thought the day was too good to waste by being stuck inside the library all day. Hermione laid on her stomach, her ankles crossed in the air, a thick Arithmancy book and a parchment before her, a quill tightly gripped in her right hand. Harry sat with his back leaned to the beech tree, admiring the beautiful spring day – the soft breeze caressing his face, the sky a perfect cloudless blue, and the sun shone brightly, reflected on the calm lake's surface.

"I still don't understand how the house-elves could've mistaken your Arithmancy essay as a piece of garbage," Harry mused.

Hermione ignored him.

"So does this change your feelings towards house-elves, Hermione?" Harry wondered.

Hermione looked up from her book and retorted haughtily, "No, Harry, I don't blame them for what happened. They're uneducated, how are they supposed to know it's an essay? They were just doing their job. If you'd like to put anyone to blame, it's my fault that I left my essay on the common room table!"

Harry was taken aback by her sudden outburst. He managed to stutter, "Then, who are you so angry at?"

Hermione sighed and hesitated before saying, "No one. Myself. I don't know! I'm just upset about my essay alright!"

"So do you mean…," Harry began to ask another question before Hermione cut him, "And I'll also be upset with you if you don't stop pestering me with your questions!"

Slightly frightened by the look on Hermione's face, Harry replied quickly, his eyes wide, both hands held up, palms facing Hermione – a sign of surrender, "Alright, alright. Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."

They spent the rest of the day in complete silence. Hermione engrossed with her Arithmancy, while Harry closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun that filtered through the leaves of the beech tree above him, and the breeze that softly ruffled his hair. He was very nearly asleep when Hermione heaved a deep sigh and said, "It's getting late. Let's get back inside, Harry. I'd rather continue in the library."

Harry fluttered his eyelids open and jumped up, "Let's. D'you reckon the others are already back from Hogsmeade?"

Hermione's better mood instantly disappeared, and Harry regretted asking that question. "I don't know," she said frostily with a passive face.

Together they marched back towards the castle – this time in silence. As soon as Hermione was finished, they returned to Gryffindor common room, where Ron was already waiting for them.

"Hey, Hermione. Finished your essay?" Ron smiled at her.

Hermione stared at him coldly and replied, "Yes, thank you for your concern. Did you have a nice time at Hogsmeade with _Lavender Brown_?" Her tone was sarcastic.

"Umm… Yeah, I guess you could say so," Ron answered warily, bewildered by Hermione's attitude.

"Excuse me, I'm going to put my essay away, and then go to bed," Hermione said, already starting to walk away.

Ron looked at Harry questioningly, but Harry just shrugged.

"Wait, Hermione!" Ron called, "I thought you might want to see this."

"See what?" she asked, annoyed but already half-turned in her curiosity.

"Fred and George taught me this Muggle trick today, I thought you and Harry might be interested in it," Ron said, desperate to lighten up Hermione's mood.

"What Muggle trick?" Hermione rolled her eyes, but marched back to where Ron and Harry were sitting.

Ron extracted a candle from his pocket, and lighted it with fire from the fireplace. He set the candle on the table and reached into his pocket a second time. He managed to pull out what seemed to be a blue piece of paper, but accidentally knocked down the candle in the process.

The fire licked Hermione's essay and her parchment caught on fire.

Hermione shrieked in panic, trying to blow away the fire while reaching for her wand. But Harry was quicker. He pointed his wand to the parchment and cried, "Aguamenti!"

Hermione let out another shriek as both she and her essay got wet.

"Oh! Not again!" she cried, exasperated.

"At least the fire's out," Harry said, dumbfounded by what just happened.

"And look on the bright side, you don't have to re-do it this time," Ron shrugged.

"There is no bright side to this, Ronald Weasley!" she said menacingly.

She scowled, casted a spell to dry her essay, then stormed off in the direction of the girls' dormitory.


End file.
